Stellenbosch University student Simoné Kruger has won the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability award for the third time in a row at the 2026 South African (SA) Sports Awards, which were held last month.
Kruger is a paralympic discus and shot put athlete and a second-year sports science student.
Simoné Kruger won the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability award for the third time in a row at the 2026 SA Sports Awards on Sunday, 23 August 2026. PHOTO: Nomndeni Ndlovu
The SA Sports Awards, managed by the SA department of sport, arts and culture, recognises South African athletes and teams for their sporting achievements. This year’s awards were held at Sun City, North West on 23 August.
The award she received was for her performance in 2025, as the SA Sports Awards celebrates athletic achievements that occurred during the previous year, said Kruger.
Last year, she competed in the annual World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi, India, where she won a gold medal in discus. Kruger’s win led to her being nominated for the SA Sports Awards, said Kruger.
“Simoné deserves it. She works hard and that did not happen overnight. It comes from years of hard work,” said Wentzel Barnard, a sports manager at Maties ParaSport in SU, a sports club for persons with physical disabilities.
Simoné Kruger, a sport science student at Stellenbosch University and discus and shot put athlete, illustrates with her hands the size of the 4kg metal ball that is used in shot put. PHOTO: Nomndeni Ndlovu
Kruger explained that she was born with a stroke which affected the left side of her brain.
“There is a part of my brain that is dead. This means that the right side of my body lost some of its memory to move. One leg is shorter than the other one. This causes physical movement to be different.”
A discus and shot put throwing cage at Coetzenburg’s Athletics stadium. PHOTO: Nomndeni Ndlovu
Kruger’s father, Andries Kruger, who is also her coach, explained that to help prepare for a discus or shot put event, they focus on technique to make her strong.
“The strongest part of the body is the hips and legs. There is a rotation that starts from the foot up to the hip. The athlete needs to be taught how to use the legs instead of the upper body,” he said.
“Those heavy implements get [their] power from the lower body,” he added.
The shot put nets at Coetzenburg Athletics stadium. Simoné Kruger, a discus and shot put athlete, says she trains 5-6 times a week while balancing school work. She is a sport science student at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Nomndeni Ndlovu.
Kruger is preparing for the 2027 World Para Athletics Championships, which will take place in Uzbekistan and the 2028 Summer Paralympic games in the United States of America.